Noncognitive Factors in an Elementary School-Wide Arts Integrated Model

Abstract

Pomaika‘i Elementary School has answered a call to improve education by providing content instruction through the arts. How does school wide arts integration in an elementary setting support students as they transition to middle school? This bounded case study examines the experiences of eight families through a series of interviews with students, parents, and teachers. It describes and explains learning through the arts within three overarching noncognitive factors: a) academic mindsets, or the psychological and socially related attitudes a student holds with respect to academic goals; b) learning strategies that support thinking, remembering, or understanding concepts; and c) social skills or inter-personal behaviors such as interacting through cooperation, assertion and empathy. This study concludes that noncognitive factors provide a valuable lens for examining preparation for college, career and community readiness, with arts integrated learning as a viable pedagogy to that end.